Cold Bodies, Warm Hearts
by ANGSWIN
Summary: Hermione Granger is in the wrong place at the wrong time when she gets captured in an alley along with Nick Fury. They have to work together in order to survive the ordeal...and things heat up between them despite their cold surroundings...A HP/MCU Crossover with a few "Agents of SHIELD" references
1. The Meeting

_For my dear friend, **Magda the Magpie** , who was almost indecently excited about this rare pairing! LOL! :D_

 _Written for the 2018 Marvelously Magical Fanfiction Bingo_  
 _Square: O2 / Prompt: Huddling for Warmth_

* * *

 **Cold Bodies, Warm Hearts** \- _The Meeting - Chapter 1 of 6_

Fury strode quickly down the streets of London with his collar pulled up and his hat pulled down. Even though it was late in the evening and the skies were dark, he also wore his sunglasses - especially since he thought that they would be less conspicuous than his eyepatch…or his bare scarred eye, for that matter. He paused, though, when he heard the sounds of a spirited argument between a man and a woman coming from a nearby alleyway – especially when he heard the man drunkenly slur his insults. He could stop…and kick some ass…but he did not really want to get involved in a domestic dispute. In fact, sometimes it was difficult to remember that he was considered to be dead and, consequently, had to keep a very low profile – especially when he had to come into the city for "business." Plus, the altercation did not seem violent, just loud. Therefore, he had almost decided to move on when a high pitched shriek and an unusual loud cracking sound made up his mind for him. All of his years with SHIELD rushed back to him and kicked his people-saving instincts back into high gear.

"Shit!" he muttered as he rushed down the alley to see what had set off his weird-o-meter. _It better not be evil aliens!_ he thought and his hand brushed the concealed pocket of his jacket to reassure himself that his gun was still there. _I am so goddamn sick of them!_

* * *

Fortunately, no aliens – evil or otherwise - were to be seen…just a woman. There was barely enough light for him to see that she was petite, pretty with lots of dark hair, and that she seemed to be conservatively dressed. His first thought was that she was not really the type of woman that one would expect to find in a dark alley. However, she continued to lean against the wall with her fists clenched and her eyes closed as she took deep breaths. It seemed as if she was trying to calm herself down, but overall, she did not seem to be hurt. Therefore, he probably had no reason to be there.

"Are you alright, Miss?" he asked gruffly, annoyed that his normally sharp instincts apparently had led him astray on this occasion. However, he felt he should ask anyway – just to be sure.

The sound of his voice caused the woman's eyes to shoot open and he noticed that she made a small automatic movement towards the sleeve at one of her wrists before she stopped herself. He also noted that she looked surprised, but not extremely alarmed, to find herself alone in a dark alley with a strange man who kept his face hidden. In fact, she seemed to exude both confidence and competence…and that intrigued him despite his annoyance. "Do you need help?" he asked as he continued to observe her. "I heard what sounded like fighting."

The woman, now seemingly composed, made an odd sound that seemed to be a mixture of anger and amusement. "Thank you, but no. I'm fine now. It's just that…my idiot ex-boyfriend is a bloody annoying git who always forgets when he has been drinking that we have been over and done with for years. He…followed me down this alley. I…um…convinced him that it would be in his best interest to leave…so he did."

Fury heard the pauses in her statement and his good eye narrowed as it became clear to him that she was not telling him the entire truth. However, he _was_ a stranger in an alley…so that, at least, was understandable. At any rate, he knew that he should just leave it be and get out of there. Thus, with just a nod of acknowledgement, he turned to go. That was when he noticed that the alley they were in was a dead-end. There were no doors, no fire-escapes…nothing.

His red-alert instincts were back again. "Just how in the hell did your boyfriend leave when there is no goddamn exit?" he growled as he gestured toward the blank back wall. The whole thing was beginning to stink of a set-up to him and he automatically dropped into a defensive position. He was mildly amused and surprised to see the lightweight do the same thing, even though she had no visible weapon in her hands. However, his vast experience had taught him that appearances could be deceiving. Hell, for all he knew she could be an Inhuman or an otherwise enhanced person. Still…he waited for her to make the first move since he refused to attack an unarmed woman.

That move never came, though. Instead, at that moment, a bright light flooded the alley from what was obviously a quinjet hovering in the sky above. Fury looked quickly toward the alley's entrance since it was the only escape route. Unfortunately, however, he could also see a line of men…and their weapons…blocking the way.

"What in Merlin's name…?" the woman with him whispered in shock as she looked around before she turned towards him. "Just who in the bloody hell are _you_ …and who are _they?"_ He could see the confusion, and just a bit of fear, in her eyes as she realized that this was not supposed to happen. Ironically, her uneasiness reassured him that, whatever else was going on, at least she was not in on the ambush. She was an innocent bystander. Well, maybe not _so_ innocent, he realized as her eyes grew steely and determined and her hand moved quickly to the bottom of her sleeve again in the same way that his had already reached for his pistol. However, before she could pull out whatever weapon he now suspected that she hid in there, an amplified voice echoed around the alley.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here? I knew that you weren't the type of man to stay dead, Fury, so I am not really shocked to see you alive and well. But soliciting young women in dark alleyways? Now _that_ is a surprise!"

The light and the voice had apparently been meant as a diversion so that a gas grenade could roll in unnoticed under their feet. The woman caught sight of it first and finished pulling a thin carved stick out of her sleeve just as the gas mist was released and she instantly crumpled to the ground. Fury caught a faint glimpse of dark blurry shapes moving towards them through his one good eye before he succumbed to the gas and hit the pavement, as well.

The last thing he heard before he completely blacked out was, "Take the girl, also. She may be useful. We can always dispose of her later if we need to. Be sure to grab her weird stick, too."


	2. Captives

When Hermione regained consciousness, she noticed that she was extremely cold and her head ached furiously. She also soon realized that she was lying in a dimly lit space, on a rough and uneven stone floor, in nothing but her simple bra and knickers. She checked herself over quickly, but although her arm, abdomen, and neck were horribly scarred, none of those marks were new. Hell, they were practically even old friends after all of these years! Despite her state of undress, though, she did not seem to be harmed.

Therefore, she did not start to panic until she realized that not only was her clothing gone, but so was her wand. Whoever had attacked her and dumped her in this place…wherever _it_ was…must have taken that, too. That was bad…very bad. That meant she could not apparate out to safety or perform her best defensive spells. Nevertheless, she felt reassured when she remembered that she could still use her _other_ magical skill. With that thought, she smirked slightly as she thought of Sirius, and she suddenly felt more confident in her ability to escape this situation… _if_ she went about it carefully. Before she could finish that thought, however, she heard a groan from the other side of the room? cell? dungeon? cave? She had no idea where she was. It would be best if she could figure that out before she put her tentative plan into motion. Until then, however, she rose unsteadily to her feet and went towards the sound to see if she could help.

The first thing that she noticed about the large, dark-skinned man that she found on the other side of the small room was that he was apparently the same mysterious bloke from the alleyway…and that he was in his underwear, as well. She guessed that they had both been stripped to search for any weapons that they might have been carrying. She did not know about the man, but all she had on her at the time was her wand and her shrunken bag that she kept in its usual secret pocket. If she was lucky, then her captors would not know what the first item was…and hopefully they would never find the second one. Even if they did, she was confident that the protective spells that she had placed on it would prevent them from being able to enlarge it or open it.

The next thing she could not help but to notice about the man as she proceeded to check him over for injuries was that he was quite fit. He was all lean with sinewy muscle. Plus, as she glanced down, she flushed when she realized that his snug boxer briefs had a difficult time doing their job properly - even while he was unconscious. She could not even imagine what it might be like when he was awake and actually… _interested_. Hermione tore her eyes away from the sight and berated herself for such inappropriate thoughts about a complete stranger as she finished her quick physical examination. She was pleased, though, to note that he did not seem to have any fresh injuries, either. There was plenty of evidence of old ones, however…not the least of which were the scarred bullet wounds scattered over his torso and whatever trauma that had destroyed his poor eye. In fact, the term "through Hell and back" sprang instantly to her mind as she thought about what he must have gone through to be so marked. Consequently, she could not help but to wonder just who this man was…and why they had ended up in this situation.

At least she knew now why he had kept his face hidden when they met, and she was glad that it was not for any nefarious purpose. After all, it must have been easily recognizable – especially if one knew what to look for. However, she also understood that despite his rough exterior, he must have been a good guy at heart because he had come into that alley in order to try and help her when he heard her arguing with Ron. She even understood why he had gotten upset with her at the end. After all, there was no way he could have known that she was a witch…or that she could easily defend herself against Ron's drunken arse by sending stinging hexes at his…equipment…until he gave up badgering her to take him back and finally apparated away from the dead-end alley in a huff…and a shriek! However, those thoughts were all pushed aside as the man on the ground groaned again and started to wake up.

* * *

Fury opened his good eye. Besides the fact that his head hurt like all kinds of hell and damnation, he immediately noticed the scantily clad woman bent over his equally undressed body and his eye widened in surprise. Fortunately, no other _personal_ impulses were immediately triggered by their…suggestive…position. That was probably only because it was too hard to concentrate on anything but the pain…and how goddamn cold it was in this…whatever the hell this place was.

"Can you sit up?" the woman asked him gently. "It will help to clear your head. I woke up with a doozy of a headache, too, and I am pretty sure that it was an aftereffect of whatever kind of gas they used on us."

Fury focused on her and finally registered her as the lightweight from the alley…and his pain was repressed by the sudden guilt he felt for not preventing her capture in the first place - especially since it was obvious that it had been him they were after…not her. However, once they had deployed that gas, neither of them had stood a chance at fighting back. In fact, he thought that the little white girl must be scared to death from the experience. Therefore, he met her eyes on purpose to…what? Reassure her? Hell, he didn't know what he was trying to accomplish…but he noticed that she did not even flinch as she met his gaze – even with his uncovered horror of an eye. In fact, her own eyes told _her_ story. She had apparently seen some shit, too – so much so that being gassed and thrown, practically naked, into a freezing ass cell with a big damn disfigured stranger did not terrify her completely.

At that point, he allowed his eyes to examine the rest of her…and he realized that her body told its own story, as well. Considering that it had been a long while since a woman had been in his life, and that he was not _completely_ blind; he immediately noticed that she had an attractive womanly figure, with curves in all the right places. However, he also realized that it could have been easy to overlook some of those fine details because of all of the scars that took precedence on her otherwise creamy skin: knife marks on her neck, smaller scattered scars across her shoulders, big ass purple slash across her abdomen ( _What the hell could have caused that_?), and the word carved into her arm. _Mudblood_ … _what does that even mean and what kind of sickass son of a bitch would do something like that to a lovely young woman?_

"Hey! My eyes are up here, you know!" the woman said with a slight snicker at his obvious curiosity about her scars and his eye snapped back up to meet hers in surprise that she could still find humor in this situation. Suddenly, that confidence that he had seen…and appreciated…in the alleyway made a lot more sense. He was grateful to not have a weak and weeping woman on his hands, but…who…what…exactly _did_ he have?

The residual headache pain from the gas had receded by this time, but the goddamn cold had crept in under his skin and he had started to shiver. Sitting on the floor did not help, so Fury stood up and cursed as his cold stiff joints protested the movement. He knew that he was not as young as he used to be, but to ache like that was just pure bullshit. He started to pace around the room to kickstart his blood flow as well as to check out their prison and see what they had to work with.

The answer was _nothing._ There was a heavy metal door that must have been firmly locked or barred from the outside because it would not budge, not even an inch, from their side. The only other feature was one tiny hole close to the top of the high old arched stone ceiling that let in a small amount of light _._ There was absolutely nothing else in that cold small space but him and the woman: no windows, no furniture, no loose stones, no supplies… _nothing_. Apparently, he was just going to have to make do with his fists and what was between his ears…and whatever help the woman could provide…if either of them were going to survive.

Fortunately, he thought he understood exactly what was happening here with the deprivation, isolation, semi-nudity, and the cold. The two of them were obviously being _softened up_ for interrogation. In fact, so far it was practically step-by-step textbook procedure for those predictable bastards. He suspected that since they were not being more creative with their captives…not yet, at least…that it meant the two of them were dealing with amateurs, benchwarmers, and the leftover dregs of the agency that had caused him so much grief over the span of his life and career.

"Are you ready to tell me now what is going on…and what happened out there?" her quiet voice broke through his thoughts as he finished his quick survey of their prison. "Who were those people?"

He turned around to level his eye at her. She had stood also and was attempting to rub some warmth and feeling back into her bare arms and legs. He tried not to stare at the unexpectedly attractive sight, so he focused on what he should tell her, instead. Since he did not know who she was, he wondered how much she knew about their captors. Therefore, he said only one word while he watched her closely to see if she reacted.

"Hydra," he growled.

Hermione's mind latched onto the word, as she thought about what she knew. "Hydra – mythological Greek monster fought by Hercules – cut off one head and two would grow back. What about it?"

Fury studied her carefully before he decided that she really did not know about the group that had toppled his life's work. He shook his head as he explained, "Not _that_ monster…even if there are plenty of stupid ass human monsters who are a part of it. Hydra is the name of a not-so-secret organization with ties to an ancient alien cult, as well as the goddamn Nazi regime, and the goal of its leaders has always been world domination. They also have absolutely no problems with destroying anyone who gets in their way."

"So…they are basically a group of muggle Death Eaters with the kinds of toys that I saw in that alley? Lovely!" The sarcasm dripped like acid from her tongue, but before Fury could question her about the strange comment, she asked him one instead. "What do they want from you, then…and me? Did we somehow get in their way?"

"As for you…well, I am afraid that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Miss…" his voice trailed off as he suddenly realized that he still did not know her name – which seemed quite strange since they were practically naked together.

"Granger…Hermione Granger…and you are?"

"Nick Fury."

"Pleasure," she answered in a clipped tone with that posh little British accent of hers and he felt his lips smirk completely of their own volition. He could not help but to admit that he liked the sass on this girl…and if he was being truthful, her ass wasn't bad, either! _Damn_ , he thought. The cold must be getting to his brain if he was allowing his mind to descend into the gutter already. As if to prove that point, he started to shiver again. He looked over at the Granger woman just in time to see that she trying to control her own cold-induced tremors, as well. He knew then what they had to do, even if would probably be an uncomfortable situation for both of them. They were going to have to huddle together for warmth.


	3. Huddling for Warmth

_How in the hell am I going to tell her that we are going to have to...cuddle?_ he wondered. _She is going to think that I am some kind of goddamn pervert!_ However, he had never been one to shy away from a challenge, so he decided to just come out and say it.

"Um…Granger?" he asked, and he did not like the uncertain way that his voice sounded, so he tried again. "Granger!" he commanded her attention and she shot him a look that clearly stated that she was not amused with his tone. That saucy look tempted him to smile, but he managed to resist as he beckoned to her. Just then, her eyes suddenly filled with understanding and she nodded.

Hermione knew at once what he was trying to tell her. If they were going to stave off hypothermia…or worse…then they were going to have to share body heat - at least until she could figure out a way to put her other skills to work instead. After all, she just could not just spring _that_ on the man – especially since she did not even know who…or what…he was, yet. At any rate, it would probably be a bit embarrassing, but she could think of many worse things to do than hold her body up against that of a stranger's for warmth. In fact, dying was at the top of _that_ list! Plus, once you saw past the obvious scarring, he was not a bad looking bloke…not at all, in fact. At any rate, she had already determined that he was one of the good guys. _In fact, this could get interesting!_ she thought optimistically.

To Fury's surprise, the woman did not hesitate. She walked straight up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. His arms slowly came up around her, too, and she automatically laid her head on his chest. His steady heartbeat was comforting and she soon realized that their situation really was much warmer in this position. Obviously, they would not be able to stand in place forever, but for now it would do.

"Alright then," she said as casually as she could with her voice muffled against his bare chest…and a very nice hard chest it was! "Tell me about you. Why do these Hydra people want you?"

Fury rested his chin on top of the woman's head and tried to envelope more of her nearly bare torso with his big arms and hands. He found that the human contact was warm…as well as soothing in a way that he had not expected. Then, since it was his fault that she was here – and he was secretly impressed with the way that she had handled herself so far – he told her the truth.

He explained that their captors were probably the last vestiges of the organization that wanted him in their possession because he was the former Director of SHIELD before the Hydra uprising. Then, to his own astonishment, he also found himself telling her about his "death" and subsequent fall off of the map while he hunted down loose ends…before being trapped with a nearly naked woman in an increasingly cold room. Normally, he would have never given away so much information to a stranger, but he realized that he had nothing to lose at this point. If she was a plant, which he and his keen instincts did not really believe, then she knew all of this already. If she really was just a stranger who happened to be in the same alley when they were captured, either she would be destroyed with him…or she could be a key component to help him figure a way out of this mess.

"I see." Even after his explanation, she said those two words so calmly that he pulled away slightly in surprise to look her straight in the eye. However, she shuddered as the warmth of his body left hers and pulled him back so quickly that he could not help but to allow his lips to curl up briefly in amusement. That pleasant feeling quickly disappeared, though, with her next question. "I suppose that means that we should not expect a rescue party from your people, then?" she asked as she laid her head on his chest again.

He tightened his hold on the woman subconsciously. "Nobody even knew I was in London," he answered with an edge in his tone that reflected the regret that he had not even contacted Hill.

"Well, apparently, _somebody_ did," she emphasized as removed her hand from his back to briefly wave it around to indicate their prison before she replaced it.

He shrugged, but he could not deny the truth of her statement. "Despite my best efforts, I must have been spotted. Catching me in a dark alley was probably an opportunity that they could not resist." Then he changed the subject. "What about you? Will anybody be looking for you?" For the first time, he found himself wondering if she had a husband or children at home.

"Yes," she answered, surprising him with the quick confirmation…and Fury was left to wonder about the bit of disappointment that he felt about that as she continued to explain. "However, it all depends on if Ron has the bollocks to tell him what happened today…or last night. I wonder how long we were unconscious and what time it is now? At any rate, if Ron did tell him, then Harry will come immediately to check on me, realize that I am missing, and won't stop until he has traced me _here_. Otherwise, since it was the beginning of the weekend, it could be a couple of days before he realizes that I am gone and is able to trace me to…wherever this is. Who knows what our captors plan to do before then, though? Therefore, I am afraid that we cannot wait around for him. We will need our own plan, just in case."

"Who is this Harry?" Fury asked, extremely curious about her confidence in the man. "How can you be so sure that he will be able to find you? Even I don't know where the hell we are! Hydra had a lot of secret bases themselves, even before they infiltrated SHIELD and took over theirs."

Hermione just waved her hand dismissively as if that piece of information was not important. "Of course, Harry would find me. He is the most powerful person I know…besides myself, of course!" With that intriguingly mysterious statement, he could feel a grin flash across her face – especially since it was still pressed into his chest at the time. However, he could tell the instant it turned into a grimace, as well. When she squirmed a little bit, he realized what the problem was. After all, he was beginning to feel the need, as well. She looked up sheepishly. "Fury, I'm sorry but I am going to have to…"

He nodded. "We are going to have to designate one of the corners, I think. If my suspicions are correct, then I think those assholes plan to hold us here for several days before they even acknowledge our presence."

Hermione stared at the man. "They are going to try to wear us down with these terrible conditions first, aren't they?" she asked and he nodded – again impressed with her quick intuition. "I guess that means no food or water…as well as no facilities, no clothes, and no heat." She looked downcast for just a moment before her rational demeanor returned and she gestured to the far corner. "How about that one?" she asked. He nodded in agreement. Then they took turns, each taking care of their personal business while the other discreetly kept their distance.

"Hopefully, the cold will help to keep the smell down," Hermione commented optimistically as she reached out for one of his arms upon his return.

He bemusedly let her massage some warmth back into it and its mate before she did the same for his neck, shoulders, and back. He had to admit that her touch felt damn good and that in any other situation he would want it to lead to… He shook his head. Those kinds of thought would only lead to trouble right now. Consequently, he tried to think of other mundane and non-stimulating things instead as he returned the favor for her. After all, he had not touched a woman so intimately since before his "death." Constantly flying under the radar really put a crimp in one's love life, unfortunately, and there had been no time or opportunity for such activities.

However, he then saw her closed eyes and the small twist to her lips that indicated she enjoyed the contact as well. He suddenly wondered if she and that Harry guy were a couple…or if she had been single and celibate for a while like he had. Without discussing it, though, they soon separated and both decided to handle the much more personal warming rub-down on their lower halves themselves while preoccupied with their own thoughts.

However, afterwards, Hermione brought up another point. "If we are going to be without food or water for an unknown period of time, then we should conserve our strength and body heat. We should also rest while we have the chance…just in case you are wrong about their plans to make us wait. If they come for us sooner, we need to be physically ready for them."

Since he had planned to bring up this point himself, he again found himself impressed with her take on their perilous situation…and with her apparent calm in the face of possible death. It made him seriously wonder about what her life was like in the outside world. Before he could ask anything about that, though, she jumped straight to the heart of the matter. "If we are not going to freeze to death before we find a way to get out of here, then we are going to have to have as much skin to skin contact as possible while minimizing our contact with the cold floor or walls. Hmmm…" She paused to consider the various possible positions in her head before she chose one.

"Okay, I think I've got it. I wouldn't be able to hold your weight for long, so I am afraid that you are going to have to be on bottom." Fury's eyebrows climbed halfway up his forehead at her phrasing while he looked incredulously at the woman in front of him. Her tone was so crisp and professional about such a potentially personal situation…that he could not help but wonder again what she did for a living. "If you sit on your bum, your underwear will provide some protection from the floor, but I am afraid that you are still going to have a cold hard arse after a while. I'm sorry but I can't think of a solution to that right now. We will just have to take some standing breaks…and maybe even a buttock massage." She paused to grin for a moment as his eyebrows shot up again. That look faded, though, as she started to shiver violently and gestured for him to sit. Then, without warning, she straddled him and slid down into a sitting position in his lap while facing him. This was almost too much for him, cold or not - especially since he now had a perfect view of a creamy expanse of cleavage and he could feel the roundness of her ass resting against his crotch. He found that he had to exercise all of his considerable self-control at that point because pure biology was threatening to take over. Fortunately, she continued, as if unaware of his predicament, as she then wrapped both her arms and legs around his back while just her heels rested on the floor behind them.

"Your turn," she commanded gently. "Put your arms around me and then pull your legs up towards my back."

Despite his physical struggle, Fury had to admit that he liked her no-nonsense, take-charge kind of attitude. She knew what needed to be done…and she did it! However, he still looked at her and asked, "Has anybody ever told you that you are a damn bossy little thing?"

She actually smiled again that time – especially since, regardless of his snarky attitude, he did as she told him. She then laid her head on his shoulder and explained. "All of the time, Mr. Fury. All of the time! For good reason, too…I know when I am right. After all, this is much warmer, isn't it? Both of our backs are supported, too. Therefore, we should be able to sit for quite a while like this."

Fury could not help but to agree. Despite the now completely distracting position of the woman in his arms and lap, or maybe even because of it, he was much warmer now. In fact, as he felt her body relax even more into his, he would have even said he was comfortable - if it had not been for the cold hard arse… _ass_ …that she had correctly predicted!


	4. Surprising Developments

"Fury! Fury! For Merlin's sake, wake up!" The stinging pain across the side of his face caused his good eye to fly open and he caught the wrist of the hand with which she had just slapped him in his own iron-grip fist.

"What the hell was that for, Woman?" he growled.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she declared. "I'm so sorry that I had to hit you, but I couldn't get you to wake up. I feared the worst." When he heard the sincerity in her voice, he let her go and was shocked when she immediately used her free-again arms to hug him with affectionate relief.

He patted her awkwardly on the back while he tried to figure out what was going on. The last thing he remembered was they were huddled together, her face in his neck, his in her hair and they were talking to pass the time. Neither one of them had found any monitoring equipment while they were on their bathroom or walking-to-warm-up-and-increase-circulation breaks. Therefore, he had insisted that she tell him about herself, and the Harry fellow, since it had become increasingly obvious that she was not just any ordinary woman. To his surprise, he had actually felt relief when she described Harry as her best friend and brother-of-her-heart, rather than her husband or lover. She also explained that they worked in law enforcement together, and that she had an item on her when they were captured that Harry would be able to trace.

What she had not told him, however, was that the item was her wand. Even though she had not had a juvenile trace on it for many years, she and Harry were so intuned with each other's magical signatures that one of their wands could now easily find the other in times of emergency. The connection was something that they had discovered during their Auror missions together – especially when they became partners after she broke up with Ron and he decided to leave the DMLE to work with George at the WWW shop. After researching the amazing phenomenon, Hermione found that such intuition was the natural result of incurring so many magical life debts from each other – which they had done almost continuously since their first year together at Hogwarts. Consequently, she was extremely confident in Harry's ability to find her…or at least her wand. However, she knew that it would only work if he realized that she was missing in the first place!

At any rate, Fury had not been surprised to learn that she worked in some form of law enforcement. That went a long way to explain her confidence and competence…and perhaps some of her scars, as well. However, what he refused to believe was that she was just any ordinary police officer. There was definitely more to her story than she was telling. However, even though most of _his_ story (except for the fake death) was a matter of public record, he could understand that she could not completely reveal her identity – especially if she was a member of MI5, MI6, or something similar, as he now suspected. All he knew was that it was already clear that she would have made a damn fine SHIELD agent. In fact, he thought that he might still point her in Coulson's direction when all of this was over.

After that conversation, they had both experienced some restless sleep. He remembered waking up as temperatures in the room dipped even lower than they were before. He realized that the woman in his lap was uncomfortably cold, as well, but since she was actually resting relatively well at the moment, he was reluctant to wake her. Instead, he tried to rub some warmth back into her frigid skin and even smiled at the slight sound of pleasure that she made at his actions. Then he just tightened his grip on her before he fell back into a fitful doze, as well. That was all that he remembered until he had been startled awake by the unexpected slap!

After his rather abrupt, but obviously necessary awakening, he registered that there was hardly any light at all to be seen from the small hole in the ceiling. It was evident that night had fallen wherever they were located. That meant that they had been in this place for at least 24 hours...and possibly more since he could feel the effects that hunger and thirst were beginning to have on his body. Plus, it was extremely obvious that their combined body heat was no longer going to be enough to get them safely through the night. In fact, his body was already so cold and stiff that he did not think he could move.

After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could faintly see the worry etched into Hermione's face as she attempted to massage the feeling back into his arms before she moved down to do the same for his legs until he was able to stand. Since personal relationships were a weakness and a liability in his chosen profession, it had been a long time since he had allowed someone to get close to him. Despite that, however, something about the way that the woman was genuinely concerned about him tugged at his purposely-hardened heart at that moment. Before he even realized what he was doing, he had pulled her into his arms and just held her for a moment in gratitude until she leaned back and gave him a strange look.

"I think…" she said hesitantly. "I think I might have a solution to our problem with the cold. However, I am quite concerned about your response. You will have to be able to keep an open mind about it because…otherwise…well…it is probably going to freak the bloody hell out of you. I was hoping to avoid the situation altogether, but it looks like it is going to have to be our last resort."

"I'm listening," Fury replied gravely and his eye narrowed in suspicion while he wondered what the young woman could possibly have in mind. After all, he knew that she had not told him the truth about everything.

"It's probably better…and quicker…if I show you," Hermione told him. "Please remember, though, that I'm still me," she said by means of an ambiguous explanation. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and called forth the one important bit of magic for which she did not need her wand – all thanks to the special private lessons that Professor McGonagall had offered to her when Hermione had returned to Hogwarts for her final year. A second later, Nick Fury found himself standing next to a huge cat! In the dim light, it was hard to see, but he thought that it was a cougar…or a lion!

"Motherfu…!" he shouted as he stumbled backwards a little in surprise - until he realized that the big cat was eyeing him strangely and that made him pause. "Granger? Is that really you?" he asked. As the creature nodded, he held out his hand in amazement. When she rubbed her soft _warm_ head against it, he realized what her plan was. "I think that you might be onto to something here…but I want to talk about _this_ first!" he said firmly. She nodded and in the span of one breath, the woman was standing next to him again.

"Oooh, I'm warm now," she said with delight and went to share her leftover body heat with him. He gratefully allowed her now comfortably heated embrace, but he also wanted answers. "Explain!" he commanded while using his not-to-be-disobeyed Director's voice - even as he folded his arms back around her again.

"I can turn into a lioness," she said simply.

"I can see that!" he answered curtly. "What I want to know is why. Are you an Inhuman?" She shook her head in the negative. "A mutant?" Another shake. "Alien?" One more denial. "Granger!" he all but snarled impatiently. "I have worked with _all_ of the above…not to mention super soldiers, gamma radiation beasts, agents and spies...and even that egomaniac, Tony Stark, too. I have even had the misfortune to cross paths with the can't-be-killed, pain-in-the-ass, Deadpool more than once. Therefore, whatever you are will not shock me. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "I sincerely hope you mean that because…well…I'm a witch," she said quickly as she tried not to display just how nervous she was about the revelation.

"A witch!" His sharp mind churned as he thought about Wanda Maximoff and her powers, but he knew instantly that Hermione was different from the enhanced teenager. He thought over what he knew about the woman in front of him. "So that stick was your…"

"It was my wand, yes. I need it to channel my power to do the majority of my magic…except for my animagus transformation. _That_ is a special kind of magic that is tied directly to my core."

"Hmm, I see…" Fury said contemplatively. However, she was relieved to see that he did not seem to disbelieve her or think that she was crazy. "And the alley?" he asked.

"Just a location for magical transport," she explained with a shrug. "We can apparate – instant transfer from place to place – so we need discreet places to arrive and depart so that Muggles…um… nonmagical people…do not see us. However, we need our wands to do it. That's why I haven't being able to get us out of here, yet."

"That also explains the missing ex-boyfriend, then, doesn't it?" Fury nodded thoughtfully, finally reassured about any lingering doubts that he still had about her now that he understood the mystery of the dead-end alley. "He is a…what? Warlock?"

"Wizard," Hermione provided the proper title with a smile.

"And your friend, Harry?" he asked, as her description of the "most powerful person I know" suddenly made a lot more sense.

"Also a wizard," she confirmed.

"Witches…wizards…hmmm…okay. That's a new one that I want to discuss thoroughly later. However, right now I am freezing my goddamn ass off, Woman, so get your furry feline butt over here…pronto!"

Hermione could only grin with relief at Fury's easy acceptance of her difference. Even though it was clear that he was surprised, it was equally as obvious that he had not been lying when he said he would not be shocked. Therefore, she gestured for him to sit back down on the floor before she wrapped her arms around him. "Ready?" she asked. Immediately after his nod, he found himself in a giant lion hug. After a little maneuvering, they found a position that was actually quite comfortable for them both.

"Well, shit! I thought that I had done it all, but snuggling with a big damn lion is a new one – even for me!" he exclaimed truthfully as he found himself fully reclined on the floor, but so completely wrapped up with the lioness that very little of him actually touched the cold surface. Hermione just snuffled him with her velvety nose before she closed her eyes and drifted off into a warm cat nap.

* * *

Another day passed, at least judging by the slightly changing pattern of light and darkness in their cold stone prison. They used their time wisely, however. Whenever they became too cold or tired, Hermione would transform and warm them both with her fur covered body so that they could rest safely. However, for the rest of the time she remained human so that they could talk and plan _._ She had to admit to herself that despite the physical discomforts of hunger, thirst, and cold; being wrapped in Fury's strong arms made the situation _much_ easier to deal with. Plus, the man was intelligent and fascinating - with a keen mind for strategy that far surpassed even Harry's. She could easily see how he had risen to such an important position…and why his enemies wanted him dead…and for him to stay that way!

At any rate, after much discussion while they huddled for warmth, she had soon not only developed a solid escape plan _with_ him, but also a strong attraction _to_ him! It was true that she really enjoyed the way that his hard body felt against hers. However, she also found that his sharp-edged tongue and personality appealed to her, as well, in a way that no man had before. _A diamond in the rough,_ she could not help to think. She also had reason to believe that he was at least physically attracted to her, as well. Now that they were better able to regulate their body temperatures with the help of her animagus form, she found that even slight movements on her part while she was in his lap as a human could cause some interesting reactions on his side. In fact, Hermione was extremely interested to note that her earlier speculations about the limits of his boxer briefs were proven to be indisputably correct. It was something that was simply impossible to ignore in their intimate position.

In fact, Hermione's imagination ran rampant as her traitorous body wanted to return the sentiment - especially since it would only take a slight shift in position in order to consummate that growing attraction. However, except for one almost desperate-sounding, "Goddamn it, Granger. Be still. You are killing me, Woman!" neither of them mentioned the increasingly intimate situation. It was obviously neither the time nor place for such things. However, as the time went on, it became clearer and clearer that they both wished that it was. Hermione even started to consider what would happen afterwards if…no, _when_ …they escaped. She decided that she definitely would not mind getting to know him better…in more ways than one.

For his part, Fury found himself also developing an alarming attraction to the unusual woman who had spent so much time in his arms for the past couple of days. Even if the feel of her extremely feminine body against his own caused reactions that his considerable self-control just could not handle, he also found that he liked her quick wit and sharp mind, as well. _Damn! That woman is scary smart!_ he could not help but to think as they worked together to formulate their escape plan. The fact that she was a witch, and had an animal form, only added to her intrigue. Also, the more they talked about their lives in order to pass the time, the more he admired her spirit – especially when she told him about the war that she had gone through as a child…and how she had acquired her scars.

Not only did he mourn the loss of her as a potential SHIELD agent even more then, but he also regretted not having met her before on a more personal level. Judging from her stories, she obviously had the experience and inner strength necessary to deal with the kind of unpredictable and dangerous life that he led. That just could not be said of many women...or men, either, for that matter. In fact, for the first time since the fall of SHIELD and his "death," he started to think more about the future...and the possibility that she could be a part of his. At the very least, he definitely wanted to get to know more about this fascinating woman and her world.

Despite their growing attraction to each other, the conditions of their confinement were taking a serious toll on them by what they assumed was the third…or possibly even fourth…day. Even though they no longer suffered as much from the cold, the lack of food…and especially water…was hard on them. They became increasingly irritable and lethargic – even as they held each other closer than before. Hermione mourned the loss of her wand and drove herself crazy with the thought of the _Aquamenti_ spell that was so simple she could have performed it in her sleep – especially since she knew that it would have easily solved their thirst problem. She just could not get it out of her mind and she kept silently repeating the spell over and over again, with many different inflections.

Consequently, after one such repetition, she was extremely surprised when she felt the same tug from her magical core that she did when she performed her animagus transformation. That feeling was nothing, though, compared to the shock that she received when a jet of pure clear water suddenly poured out of the air near her fingertips! She quickly pointed the stream away from them and jumped up to avoid getting Fury wet. The sudden movement roused him, and after a surprised look and Hermione's reassurance that it was safe to drink, Fury took several large swallows of the precious substance before she partook of it herself. After drinking her fill, she muttered a _Finite Incantatum_ , now confident that she could recreate the spell again when they needed it. They both soon felt refreshed after the unexpected treat and grinned cheerfully at each other.

"I take it that you didn't know you could do that?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow as she looked joyfully up at him.

"I've never performed purposeful wandless _and_ wordless magic before. That was fantastic!" she exclaimed. Then, in her excitement, she grabbed his head and pulled him down to hers to kiss him enthusiastically.


	5. The End of the Ordeal

Fury thought about that kiss later while he curled up with the warm lioness. Even though it was clear that they both enjoyed it, Hermione had transformed immediately afterwards before things could go any further. She had suddenly realized that despite her best efforts to keep him dry, he had been splashed with some of the water from that strange water spell that may have saved their life – even if it had only been an accident. Despite his reassurances that he was fine, however, she said she was not going to take any chances due to the cold temperatures and had immediately wrapped him up in a big furry warm hug. Fury found himself surprised, and touched, by her concern again as he started to wonder if it was the cold that was making him so goddamn sentimental about the woman…or if he was just getting soft in his old age.

At any rate, as he lay with his face close to her furry muzzle full of dangerously sharp teeth, he felt no trepidation whatsoever from their relative positions. Instead, he realized that she made him feel something that very few other people had ever managed – even after much longer periods of time. In fact, Fury was shocked when he realized that he actually _trusted_ the woman.

Before he could explore this astonishing thought further, however, the door to their prison _finally_ started to creak open. Hermione was up on all four paws in a flash at the sound while Fury took just a moment longer to stand up on his own two legs. He placed his hand on the head of the animagus and nodded when she looked up and met his eye. This was the moment that they had waited and planned for. In fact, as Hermione the lioness sprinted to the door, he almost felt sorry for the poor damn unsuspecting devil who stood on the other side of it… _almost._

After the first scream was cut short, he stepped through the door also, and over the prone body. _That's my girl!_ he thought proudly as he followed the swishing tail up the adjoining flight of stairs before it disappeared into the next room. Apparently, he and Hermione had been kept in an old semi-detached cellar of some sort since he noticed that the rest of the rooms seemed to be much more modern…and a helluva lot warmer…than their prison had been. Just then he heard a gunshot, and after a heart stopping moment of fear for the little witch, another couple of screams from the direction in which she had disappeared. Fury felt like chuckling with relief at the sound. As he suspected, the men on this side of their prison had expected two easy marks, weakened by days without food, water, or warmth. That's why they had only sent one man down to fetch them. They had _not_ expected an enraged lion…and that gave the prisoners a decided edge that they had planned to exploit. That's why Hermione had gone first. She had no trouble whatsoever making short work of the two other kidnappers in the adjacent room before she transformed back into a human as soon as Fury arrived, as well.

"They're still alive…barely," she stated without remorse. She had enough experience now to know how to incapacitate her prey, but to stop just short of killing it. Even though it had to be done, it was not something she enjoyed - as evidenced by the way she wiped her lips with disgust. Apparently, that action was not good enough so she performed another _Aquamenti_ to rinse the horrid taste of the Hydra agents out of her mouth. Fury gratefully accepted a quick drink, as well, when she offered the magical stream of water to him. Then, he prodded one of the figures on the floor with his foot before liberating the gun next to the body. He expertly checked the number of bullets in the chamber before he nodded to the witch.

"Before I transformed back, I smelled at least two other males in the nearby vicinity," she warned him. "They will have heard these two in here, and possibly the one downstairs, as well - so be careful! They could be waiting for us. I'll transform again if I need to. However, I want to get us out of here as soon as possible, so finding my wand is my biggest priority – next to our safety, of course."

Fury nodded. That made sense. He would like to get his own pistol back, too, if possible. It was his favorite one! However, he could still make good use of the one in his hand in the meantime. Thus, he quickly headed into the next room, only pausing momentarily to grab Hermione's hand and pull her along with him. He was rewarded for this action, not only by the bright beaming smile that she directed at him, but also by the sight of their belongings spread out all over a table in that room.

"Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly and squeezed his hand before she dropped it and rushed to look. She easily found her shrunken bag still in its secret pocket, but her wand was nowhere to be found. "Shit!" she exclaimed in dismay as she turned to look at her companion - just in time to see him reclaim his pistol. He grinned cheerfully as felt the familiar weight of it in his grip.

"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed. "Their Hydra asses are grass now!" He looked up to see Hermione's forehead pucker in confusion at the unusual phrase. He would never admit it, but he thought that the look was adorable on her and he had to force down the resulting uncharacteristic urge to cross over and kiss that little wrinkled spot between her eyes. Hopefully, there would be time for that…and a lot more…later. "Come on, Woman!" he commanded in a brisk tone, instead. "Let's find your goddamn wand, take care of the rest of the rat bastards that brought us here, and then you can show me how you do that fancy magical travel!"

Hermione gave him that same irritated narrowed eye look that he was really beginning to enjoy provoking from her before she finally nodded. She tucked the little shrunken bag into her bra and prepared to follow him into the next room. She cast a wistful eye at her clothing, but left it where it was since she knew that they could not afford to be caught unawares while they were attempting to get dressed. Meanwhile, Fury went to hand her the first pistol, but she shook her head.

"You don't know how to use it?" he asked sharply. "What the hell kind of law enforcement do you work for, Granger?"

" _Magical_ law enforcement," she reminded him emphatically. "All _we_ need are wands."

"Shit on that!" he exclaimed forcefully. "When we get out of here, I am teaching you how to shoot someone's goddamn head off. Until then, I will need you on my six. Follow close behind me, but feel free to get your fur on if you need to." She nodded her agreement with a small smile on her face and they were out of the room and down the hall before he realized why. He had just admitted that he planned to stick around with the pretty little witch for a while after this. _Well, sonofabitch!_ he thought to himself, right before he realized that he had a smile on his face at the thought, as well.

As they neared the last room, however, the sound of several loud _cracks_ filled the air. They were followed by shouting and gunshots, and then the thuds of bodies hitting the floor. Fury quickly pushed Hermione up against the wall and shielded her body with his own as he pointed his pistol at the door just as it was yanked open. The bright green eyes of the messy-haired man who stood there widened in surprised to see the two practically naked people in front of him.

"Harry James Potter, what in the _hell_ took you so long?" Hermione shouted as she stepped around Fury and ran to man in question. Harry swept her up into a swinging hug while Fury just stood there and watched with a narrowed eye.

"I'm so sorry, Mione!" Harry explained urgently. "When you didn't show up for duty today, I knew something was wrong. I mean, Hermione Granger _never_ misses work! When I went to look for you, I ran into Ron who finally told me what happened on Friday. I love him, I really do, but I still hexed his arse something fierce, and then I immediately traced your wand to here. What the hell are you doing in the Austrian Alps anyway – especially without any clothes on?" His nose wrinkled. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you kind of smell, too. What in Merlin's name have you been doing?" His eyes then took in the undressed and extremely scarred Fury…as well as the gun that he held. It was obvious that the man was a Muggle, even though he did not seem to be surprised by his current company or situation…and it was equally clear that Hermione felt very comfortable with him, as well. "And with whom have you been doing it?" Harry continued to ask in an even more concerned tone.

Ignoring most of his statement, Hermione gave her best friend one last hug before she stepped away. "This is Fury," she said simply as she turned to look at the man whom she had just introduced. "Austria?" she echoed questioningly at him. He shrugged.

"Like I said…they had a shitload of secret bases everywhere. This one seems to be more of a safe house, though, but the location still explains the goddamn cold, at least. Now hush for a moment, Woman, and let me see who was behind this."

"Hmmph!" she snorted, torn between amusement and exasperation at Fury's tone again while he strode right past a stunned Harry and the other two Aurors that he had brought with him. Even as an almost naked Muggle, he had a commanding presence that made the other men stand aside and let him pass - practically in spite of themselves. As he entered the last room, he was followed closely by Hermione who actually shrieked with delight when she found her wand next to one of the stunned and bound men on the floor there.

"Just as I thought…a couple of Pierce's leftover minions," Fury said, bending down to examine the unconscious men. "He was the one that ordered my death _,_ but these two were just minor players who managed to escape the net and apparently found some big goddamn toys to play with after I finally took care of Pierce myself."

"That sounds like some story…one that I will want to hear." Harry, now acting every bit like the professional Auror that he was, stated as he came in after them. "What in Merlin's name happened here, Hermione?" He also gestured to the men on the floor that he had bound with an _Incarcerous_ earlier. "And what should we do with these blokes?"

Hermione turned to look at Fury for guidance. After all, this was his life's work. The man took a moment to look around the room. There was no doubt in his, or any of his companions', minds that it had been set up for interrogation and torture – especially when they noted the strategically placed restraints and tools that filled it. "I definitely want to speak to the bastards when they wake up!" he all but snarled. "I need to find out everything I can about whatever kind of goddamn operation they still have going on…and then I'm probably going to beat the shit out of the sonofabitches. I owe them that…for the both of us."

Hermione nodded her understanding at his anger, and smiled at his desire to avenge her, as well as himself. She found that she could not resist taking his hand and stroking her thumb along it soothingly for a moment before she turned back to her best friend – who also had his fists clenched tightly at the thoughts of what the strange men had planned to do in that room - even though he had still not connected all of the dots, yet. "Please take them back to the Auror Department, Harry. It might be best if you make them think they are in Muggle jail for the time being. There is no point in bending the Statute of Secrecy out of shape any more than necessary." Here she paused as she realized that she was still holding Fury's hand…and that he had let her! "Um…I doubt that they will talk, but I will bring Fury there...tomorrow…and then afterwards..." She looked at the man in question, who nodded as he also slipped back into his Director persona.

"At that time, I have some friends who will take them off of your hands, Potter." He said confidently, knowing that Coulson would love to get a hold of a few leftover Hydra secrets and toys.

"By the way, there are a few more down there that look like they have had a run-in with some kind of wild animal or something. They will need Jameson." Hermione then added innocently and nodded towards the Medic Auror on the team as she also pointed down the hall. Harry's eyes suddenly reflected his understanding.

"Oh no, Mione, tell me you didn't," he whined. "You know I hate all of the _my-partner-turned-into-a-giant-predator-and-almost-killed-the-bad-guy_ paperwork."

Fury actually growled with displeasure then. "Son, maybe you need to go down those stairs at the end of the corridor and find the freezing ass prison that they threw her in with a strange man for days without water, food, clothes, or even a goddamn bathroom – _after_ they had gassed her. Then consider who they had set this room up for _before_ you start whining about bullshit paperwork."

At those words, Harry looked furious again. "They did _what?"_ He rushed back to embrace Hermione another time - especially since her strange appearance suddenly made much more sense as he finally put all of the puzzle pieces together. "Are you okay, Mione? We need to get you to St. Mungos and let them check you out!"

"No!" she answered wearily, but firmly. "I'm not hurt, Harry. However, I am cold, hungry, and tired. Therefore, I am just going home. Do you understand?"

Harry took a step back and nodded. He had known Hermione long enough to know that it was useless to argue with her when she had her mind set on something. However, he still insisted that the Jameson perform a quick first aid diagnostic spell on her before she left. He felt relieved when the scan revealed that she was dehydrated, but otherwise quite healthy. The same was then done for Fury, who looked on with cynical bemusement at the procedure since he was still getting used to the concept of magic. They were both then forced to drink some vitamin and electrolyte potions from his kit before the Medic Auror would release them with a warning that the potions would help them to feel better for a short while, but that they would need some food and rest soon - before they engaged in any more strenuous activity.

Afterwards, Harry watched as Hermione summoned their clothing from the next room and magically dressed both herself and the strange man, Fury, _(What kind of name was that?)_ after a quick cleansing charm that eased some, but not all, of their grime and smell. He then made her promise that she would floo him immediately if she needed him. He accepted another weary nod from his friend and partner as her answer. "What about him?" he also asked quietly as he gestured towards Fury.

Hermione looked over and met the tall dark man's eye and smiled as she finally allowed herself to think about the hard body that she had been pressed up against for days...as well as the kiss they had shared. "He's coming with me, of course!" she said firmly.

"What?" exclaimed Harry in surprise until he saw the suddenly heated look that passed between his best friend and the other man. "Oh!" he said in a quieter voice. He did not know whether to be concerned or happy for her. The man did look quite dangerous, after all. Nevertheless, there was obviously a story there…and the two of them had just been through a life-threatening experience together. Plus, she was a grown woman who knew her own mind…as well as some pretty nasty hexes. Therefore, he wisely kept his mouth shut about her love life and just nodded again. "Tomorrow!" he emphasized firmly, instead.

"Tomorrow," she agreed wearily before she wrapped her arms around Fury and apparated out of there.


	6. Cold No Longer

"What in the goddamn hell was _that_ , Granger!" Fury gasped as he bent over, hands on knees, to regain his equilibrium and to attempt to quell the nausea after they disappeared from the house that had contained their prison and landed in what seemed to be a warm contemporary home, presumably back in England. He remembered that she had said the magical transportation was an instant transfer, but she had conveniently left out the part about how it felt like being squeezed through a damn tube.

"Oh, Fury, I am so sorry. I should not have tried to take all of that distance in one jump, but I was so eager to get back home. I didn't even consider the fact that you weren't used to it, yet." She rubbed his back soothingly until the uncomfortable feelings dispelled and he felt more like himself.

"I'm alright, Woman. Don't fuss!" he commanded sharply as he stood up – not wanting to show any weakness. Hermione did not take offense, however – especially since he drew her into his arms as he said it. In fact, she could not help but to smile at the irascible tone when it was so obviously belied by the soft look in his eye. She was beginning to understand him better, and she now realized that his brusque personality really covered a kind warm heart. She did not mention it, though. Instead she just let him know that she could see right through the act by pulling him down for another kiss.

The kiss was gentle at first…but it certainly did not stay that way. The situation increased in intensity so quickly that Hermione soon found herself up against the wall with his hands gripping her upper thighs and her legs wrapped around his waist - before she even knew what had happened. That was when she decided that she had to cool things down quickly before they reached the point of no return.

"Fury, please stop!" she commanded gently, but as firmly as she could as she panted for breath. Her quiet words made him pause in his attentions, and he seemed to feel a bit surprised himself about how far things had gone between them. He did not have any reservations about it, however, and even though he did allow her to set her feet on the floor, he still held her firmly against the wall with his body. In fact, Hermione felt her will almost give way again at the smoldering look in his eye, but she still shook her head. "Not that I mind _any_ of this…because I don't… _not at all."_ she reassured him breathlessly. "However, those potions that Jameson gave us aren't going to last for much longer. Therefore, we need to take care of ourselves, _first –_ before we collapse from the pure stress of the last few days." She then brushed another kiss across his cheek apologetically before she reluctantly disengaged herself completely from the man.

Hermione then disappeared into a back room with a "Be right back!" while leaving an extremely disappointed Fury in her wake. However, he had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that she was right…even though he cursed the woman's level-headed and rational attitude right at that moment. In fact, he let out a heavy sigh while he took the opportunity to adjust the persistent problem in his pants which threatened to overwhelm him every time he thought of the little witch up against that wall. At any rate, he decided to look around while he calmed down and waited for her. Maybe he could learn a little more about the woman who had bewitched him so goddamn much in the first place!

The first thing he noticed was all of the bookcases that lined the walls around him. _Shit! I knew that girl was brilliant, but she_ _ **really**_ _likes to read!_ he thought with a touch of admiration that he hid behind a scowl when he heard her return. That look only deepened when he noticed that she carried a pair of what looked like bright plaid flannel pajamas. He just glared at her when she laughed at his look of disbelief.

"These are Harry's," she explained. When he shot her another sharp look, she laughed again and shook her head at his unvoiced question. "No! He keeps them here for when he stays over when we are up late working on a case, or when he gets bored when his _wife_ , Ginny, is out on the road with her Quidditch team. He's like my brother, remember? And she is like a sister to me, as well. In fact, I _almost_ married _her_ brother before I came to my senses. At any rate, Harry is smaller than you, so I used a bit of transfiguration to stretch them out some. They should fit you now. The loo is through there," she paused and pointed down the corridor. "Go take a nice hot shower and I will fix us something to eat before I take one myself. Jameson suggested some light soup, and I believe that I have some tins in the cupboard. That should be sufficient for tonight, and hopefully our stomachs will be ready for something heartier in the morning for breakfast."

Fury wanted to argue, but the thought of a hot shower after the last few cold hard days won him over. That was not even considering the thrill that shot through him when he realized that she had just implied that he would still be there for breakfast. That led directly back to thoughts of that wall kiss that they had just shared before other thoughts about the pretty witch and her body bombarded him. He then decided that he probably needed to follow her directions immediately and leave the room before she realized that in his current state a cold shower might be more appropriate than the hot one that she had prescribed. "Damn bossy witch," he muttered on his way down the hall. He could not help but to smile, though, at the peal of her delighted laughter that followed him and indicated that she had heard his utterance.

He proceeded to truly enjoy the refreshing shower that followed, but he could not help but to think that it would have been much better if _she_ had been in there with him…all soapy and slippery. Afterwards, he slid into those ridiculous pajamas that she had provided – even though he realized that no underwear had been included. With a huge grin, he decided to just go commando as he finished dressing and then rejoined her in the kitchen where she smiled, albeit tiredly, at the sight of him in the bright holiday-like sleepwear.

"I feel goddamn ridiculous – like a big black Christmas elf!" he growled, but goodnaturedly, when he saw that look. He then sat down gratefully to the steaming bowl of soup that she had waiting for him. It was just a basic canned meal, but after several days without food, he found it delicious and set to it with a gusto that made his companion smile even more. Afterwards, they both took another vitamin potion and Fury could not help but to realize just how exhausted his body had become. He had to admit that he was thankful _now_ that the little witch had made him stop _earlier_ because he knew that his performance would just not be up to par in his present condition…and she definitely deserved better than that! However, he was determined not to give in to his fatigue…not yet…because Hermione still had not taken _her_ shower, even though her eyes were already drooping as much as his were.

Therefore, he affected his no-nonsense Director tone and sent her off with orders to remedy that situation immediately while she shot him that delightful narrowed eye look again. _Saucy minx!_ He could not help but to think as he then proceeded to clean their dinner dishes while she handled her ablutions. In the process, he attempted, but ultimately failed, to keep his mind off of all of the pale…creamy…soapy…skin that he knew was on display in the other room. Afterwards, still a bit turned on even in his advanced exhausted state, he went in search of the bedroom. Hermione had told him to pick whichever of the two beds that he liked the best, but he was determined to spend the night with her – in one way or the other. Therefore, he found the room that held her clothes and trinkets – and then collapsed on her bed. He tried valiantly to stay awake for the little witch. He really did. However, everything that had happened in the last few days…and the comfortable bed…worked against him and the call to slumber proved to be too much for even the strong-willed man to resist.

Hermione soon entered the room, with her hair still damp from her shower since she had been too tired to even use another spell on it to dry it fully- much less pull out her muggle hair dryer. She found Fury sprawled out on his back as he snored gently. She grinned at the sight of the big man in her bed, even though she could not help but to feel slightly disappointed, as well, that he was already asleep. However, her own exhaustion was too powerful to fight, so she crawled right in beside him. Fury gave a little half-conscious sound at her arrival and pulled her closer to him. Thus, within a very short time, she had fallen asleep wrapped in his arms and with her head on his chest …just like those times during their captivity…but under the _much_ more comfortable conditions of their present location.

* * *

Just a couple of hours later, however, Hermione bolted upright in bed. She gasped and held her scarred arm, while Bellatrix's insane screeching voice still rang in her ears. It had been years since she had experienced that particular nightmare. However, she did not need a psychologist to tell her that it had occurred again because she was processing a delayed emotional reaction to the recent trauma of her imprisonment.

"Granger? Are you alright?" Fury was pulled out of his exhausted slumber by her sudden movement. He sat up in bed, as well. Even in the dim light, he could see the pain in her face and pulled her close. He then saw the tight hold that she had on her carved arm. "Are you hurt?" he asked in the softest voice that she had heard him use yet. After all, she had told him about the cursed wound…and how it would still occasionally reopen – even after all of those years - if she was not careful with it.

However, she was able to pull herself together as she shook her head in the negative. "No, I am fine. Really! It was just a stupid dream about the night that I received…this…" she gestured at her arm and it was then that Fury knew that she had just relived her torture through a nightmare. Just like she did, he also knew why it had happened right then. In fact, he was quite surprised that some of his worst memories had not revisited him, as well. However, his dreams had been decidedly more…pleasant…than that and he suspected that was due entirely to the beautiful and warm feminine body that had been curled up with his. He just felt a great deal of regret that the same situation had not worked in reverse for her. Therefore, he pulled the little witch even closer. She gratefully allowed the embrace for a moment before she moved away slightly in order to grab her wand out of its special holster on the headboard.

" _Lumos,"_ she said and a light filled the room. She and Fury both blinked against the sudden brightness until she waved her wand again and the light dimmed considerably to a comfortable level. "I'm so sorry for waking you," she apologized as he rubbed his hand over his tired eyes.

"It's not a problem, Woman," he said as he pulled her close again with one arm and then gently picked up her scarred appendage with the other. He could not help but to smile when he noticed that she was also wearing a set of pajamas that matched his ridiculously ugly ones. _They must have been Christmas presents from someone who is even more blind than I am,_ he thought with vague amusement as he gently pushed the sleeve of hers up to see the word carved there. After she had revealed her magical secret, she told him all about the wizarding blood wars and the discrimination that she had received for being born to nonmagical parents during those long hours while they huddled for warmth in their cold prison. He could empathize, since he also knew firsthand what discrimination felt like– especially as a young black man on the streets – before his fists, brains, and sheer audacity in the face of danger landed him, first as an agent of SHIELD and then later as its Director. Consequently, he knew how she felt and decided to comfort her and show her that there was _nothing_ wrong with either of them as he lowered his head to kiss her scar softly.

Her sound of both surprise and pleasure at the small action emboldened him even further and he moved to kiss the scars on her neck, as well…before migrating up to her lips while his hands moved to the buttons on her shirt. He paused for just a moment to meet her eyes for permission before laying her down on her back and pushing her top open completely. The sight of her lively hair spread across the pillow and her womanly form laid out before his eyes set him on fire, as well, and he quickly decided that they had waited long enough. Hermione had the same idea and sat up so that he could easily remove the rest of her clothing…and then she returned the favor for him. He could not stop his proud grin when she gasped in her surprise that he had not been wearing any underwear and at her first sight of his completely nude body. Meanwhile, he murmured his appreciation of hers as he took the time to pay homage to the rest of her scars with sensual kisses, as well. Then, after being driven almost to the brink of madness by the sight, feel, and taste of her skin, he found that he could wait no longer. With Hermione's help, he took care of the necessary precautions, and then finally covered her body with his own.

* * *

When Hermione woke up the second time, she was in a decidedly different state of mind than she had been during her first rude awakening. In fact, she smiled as the morning sun sifted through the curtains and fell across the face of the man who was still sleeping peacefully in her bed. Even though she knew that they still had to go to the Ministry in order to meet Harry at the Auror Department, her memories of the previous night crowded her thoughts, and she decided that her friend would just have to wait. Fury had definitely earned the privilege of sleeping in! Despite the fact that he was probably still exhausted from their ordeal, he had also expended quite a bit of energy by being _very_ thorough in his attentions to her during the night…as the current delicious ache between her thighs could attest.

As she lay there, savoring that feeling and lightly tracing the scars on his bare torso with her fingertips, she thought about how much he had surprised her with the gentleness of his lovemaking – even though she had pegged him in her mind as more of a rough tumble. She certainly could not complain about the way that it had played out, though. In fact, everything that had happened between them during the night had seemed so _right._ With that thought, those feelings started to reignite inside of her, ache or not, and she could only hope that he felt that way, too… _and_ that he would be up for an encore.

The lazy smile that he sent her way after he opened his eyes at the feel of her light touches seemed to suggest that she was right in her hope. "Mornin' Little Witch," he murmured as he pulled her more firmly against his hard body where she could easily feel his glorious morning erection. Her mind automatically shot back to how they had huddled back in their prison where she had straddled him, straddled _it_ , for several days without being able to do anything about the frustrating situation. _I can certainly do something now,_ she thought, and even though the wanton idea surprised her a little, she immediately acted on it anyway by climbing up into his lap and rocking experimentally. She was thoroughly encouraged by the low growl of pleasure that he gave in response – as the sleepiness quickly left his eyes and he tightened his grip on her – so she proceeded to fulfill the fantasy that both of them had experienced during those long cold days and nights.

Afterwards, he decided that another shower was in order…but this time he pulled the unsuspecting woman in with him. _Yes, it's definitely better with a soapy companion!_ he decided as he lathered her up before she did the same for him. She even helped him to remove several days' worth of stubby growth as she adapted a hair-removal charm for him that she had learned from Ginny back in their Hogwarts days. Consequently, he emerged from the shower extremely clean with a smooth shiny pate again, a neatly trimmed circle goatee…and another raging erection. He did not mention it, though, and was going to let the little witch have a well-deserved rest. However, she caught sight of his problem anyway, and he felt completely incapable of arguing the point when she dropped down to her knees in front of him. That led to him returning the favor – after he picked up the naked woman and carried her back to the bedroom first.

Therefore, it was actually after noon by the time that the thoroughly satisfied couple had prepared and eaten a late breakfast together - with none of the "morning after" awkwardness that usually occurs in such situations. They had simply already been through too much together for that to happen. Hermione then transfigured some wizarding world-appropriate clothing for him to wear to the Ministry, as well as the eyepatch that he had requested. "Fury," she tried to argue about the patch, "you don't _need_ one, you know. I think that you look perfect the way you are." She even added a gentle kiss to the scarred area for emphasis. However, since it had become a habit to wear one for so many years, he insisted. She gave in, but only after making him promise that he would not wear it when they were alone. It was at _that_ moment, with her sweet acceptance of his disfigurement, that the man finally realized just how deep he was in…and how far gone he already was...with this woman. The fact that he could not even attempt to blame the ensuing rush of affection at her words and actions on the cold _this_ time around only served to further prove that point.

"Call me Nick, Little Witch," he demanded instead, as he gave in to the feeling and pulled her close. She flashed him such a beaming smile at the unexpected invitation to use his first name that he could not resist the urge to kiss her again. Afterwards, he met her eyes as he told her how he truly felt about the situation. "I am _not_ wearing those goddamn robes out in public, Woman!" he proclaimed earnestly while he pointed at the offending garments. All Hermione could do at that point was laugh…because that was definitely _her_ Nick speaking…and she realized that she would not want to have it any other way! That was all that was really important at the moment. They could figure out everything else later.


End file.
